


Here's to the Future

by Ultra



Series: The Jellie Files [3]
Category: Chuck (TV)
Genre: F/M, Family, Family Feels, Gen, Love, One Big Happy Family, Regret, Sorry Not Sorry, Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Dinner
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-24
Updated: 2011-11-24
Packaged: 2018-07-23 15:08:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7468416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ultra/pseuds/Ultra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two years post- Season 4 (AU) - sequel to Casey vs the Future. Casey, Ellie, and Clara's first Thanksgiving as a family.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Here's to the Future

“Ellie?” he called again when he realised that he had been having a full conversation with the back of her head, receiving no answer in the past five minutes or more.

“Huh? What?” she checked, turning around suddenly to see John stood in the kitchen waiting expectantly for a response. “Oh, John, I’m just… My mind was wandering, I’m sorry.”

“Mama sad?” checked little Clara as her Daddy carried her over on his hip and handed her to Ellie the moment she reached for her.

“No, baby, not sad,” she promised her, holding her close. “Just thoughtful is all. This time of year makes grown-ups thoughtful sometimes,” she explained to the two year old who was unlikely to truly understand.

“Not that I’m exactly the first person to be ‘holly jolly’ about the holidays,” said Casey as he crouched down by the couch to meet Ellie at eye level, “but it’s Thanksgiving, I kinda expected a little enthusiasm for our first holiday together.”

“I know, and I’m sorry… again.” Ellie sighed, forcing smile. “As much as I’m thankful for how things worked out, and I really am,” she promised him, reaching out a hand to his face, “I can’t help thinking that… that I should’ve handled it better,” she admitted with tears in her eyes that it pained him to see.

Casey could fight bad guys, save the day, save the world even, but he couldn’t take away regrets, that just wasn’t a power he possessed. No sharp shooting or spy skills were going to make Ellie feel better about breaking Awesome’s heart and she certainly had done that.

Casey blamed himself more than anyone, though he hadn’t exactly done all the running. He wondered if anyone could really be blamed for two people falling in love the way they had. They sure as hell hadn’t seen it coming, and then suddenly they were in too deep to back out. Clara being born was the final straw, there was no way he could stand by and watch his daughter be raised by another man, especially not when he’d already missed so much with Alex.

Ellie promised him she wouldn’t leave him to suffer too long but with one thing and another, not wanting to spoil Chuck and Sarah’s wedding or Clara’s first birthday, etc., etc. it had taken until this year before she’d had the guts to just do it, to tell Devon the truth and walk away. Not that she’d walked far, just over to Casey’s place and that had become their new family home. It was no surprise when Devon up and left town within the week.

“Hey, you did what you had to do,” he assured her, moving to sit beside her Clara decided to make an escape under the table to play. “You’re a good person, El. Too good for me, probably,” he told her, at which she scoffed.

“Hardly,” she sighed as she leant into him, glad of his arm around her shoulders that never failed to comfort her and make her feel safe. “I am grateful that we didn’t have to go away. I couldn’t stand leaving Chuck and Sarah and everybody I know.”

“You’re never gonna do anything you don’t wanna do,” Casey promised her, pressing a kiss to her temple, and then as she turned her head, meeting her lips with his own.

They were oblivious to the world for all of a few seconds, before a loud beeping broke their beautiful moment.

“You’re boiling over,” Ellie told her lover with a smile that conveyed two meanings.

“Now that is your fault,” Casey teased her, sparing her one last kiss before he jumped up from the couch and went to deal with whatever had gone wrong in the kitchen whilst his back was turned.

“Loud!” Clara complained with her hands over her ears even after the alarm was silenced as a rapping started up on the door in its place.

Ellie picked her up and carried her over to see who was there, though she suspected she already knew.

“It’s okay, baby girl,” she assured her. “Look,” she encouraged her when she buried her face in Mama’s shoulder, “it’s Uncle Chuck and Aunt Sarah!”

Clara was soon squealing and giggling with delight as she was passed to her very favourite uncle and fussed over as if Chuck hadn’t seen her in months. In reality it was all of a day.

“You okay, El?” Sarah checked with her friend who nodded easily.

“Yeah,” she agreed as she looked across into the kitchen.

Casey looked up at just the right moment to smile back at her.

Sure, there was a lot in life to regret and feel guilty for, Ellie thought, and it had taken longer than she would like to get to this point, but she was extremely thankful for the way her life had turned out in the end, and she wouldn’t change a thing.


End file.
